Advancing the cure and treatment of blood cancers
Leukaemia Fund
Elimination of
How we started
In the 1970's Isobel Mitchell developed leukaemia and was treated at King's College Hospital. The treatment was successful and Isobel survived the original onset of the disease for over 14 years. Her husband, Derek, the landlord of 'The Change of Horses' in Farnborourgh Village, Kent, and was so impressed by the treatment his wife received that he decided to repay King's by collecting money to support the work of the Haematological Unit.
Isobel survived for 14 years following her treatment at King’s College Hospital and she can be seen right with her husband, Derek.
In the early days money was raised from local supporters and these donations were used to purchase small items for the Unit. But as the need for money grew, the Charity began to make appeals nationally and in particular in 1991 through payroll giving.
The result of this increased level of fundraising was that in November 1988 the Charity was in a position to make its first significant grant to King's to enable the Isobel Mitchell DNA laboratory to be established. Although the grant was modest by today's standards it enabled the Department to attract funds from other donors.
A number of major grants followed which included the funding of a Leukaemia Treatment Suite, a Day Treatment Centre and a counselling service for patients and their dependants. ELF also undertook the funding of the haematological part of the redevelopment of the Rayne Institute.
By 1995 money was being raised across the whole of the UK and as a result the Trustees reaffirmed their commitment to support projects in the whole Country.
Since then ELF has funded projects in Manchester, Leicester, Belfast, Dorchester, Maidstone, Oxford, Glasgow and at Great Ormond Street Hospital, supporting both applied (translational) research works and patient support projects. But ELF has tried to keep faith with the aims of the founder by focusing on patient centred work.
